


It's Darkest Just Before Dawn

by colazitron



Series: 2018 December Holiday Fic Countdown [20]
Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Rituals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-09-25 01:20:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17111747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: Isak and Even participate in a Yule ritual.





	It's Darkest Just Before Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I am in no way affiliated with the characters depicted herein or their creators. I made this all up.
> 
>  **A/N:** this one is for evaktektet's SKAMenger hunt prompt "pagan celebration" and for yesterday's winter solstice and for me. No one prompted this, sorry. I had a really shit week and wanted to write this. I looked up [some old Norse Yule things](http://freya.theladyofthelabyrinth.com/?page_id=397) and then promptly ignored most of that and made my own out of piecemeal and wishes. Thank you for indulging me. <3
> 
> Takes place in the same verse as Green Without Limit

If the spring ritual made Isak nervous, then Yule is downright terrifying.

For one, it's much longer. The initial ritual begins the day before the shortest night, but there are twelve days of Yule in total, feasts on every day after the first one, and Isak is expected to play his role at every one of them. So while everyone else, or almost everyone else, is going to get sloshed on hot mead and stuff their faces with food, Isak is going to not do that.

At least this time he and Even will be more or less in the same boat.

Which leads almost directly to the other thing that has Isak worried. This one way more so than the other one. Sure, not being able to take part in the feasts is annoying, and Isak isn't exactly looking forward to spending the feasts as the embodiments of the sun and spring goddess, but all in all it's only a few days.

No, the problem are the nights. In particular the first night. The one that he has to spend unconscious. Outside. Being technically hunted by a pack of men dressed as wolves, with only Even and a little goat-pulled sleigh to keep him safe.

It's not that Isak doesn't trust Even, it's just that… well. He's only one man. Barely a man at that. And Isak will be _unconscious._ That's a whole thing that Isak's very definitely not a fan of. Even has already promised him over and over that he will absolutely not let anything happen to Isak, and honestly, Isak understands that Even has the tougher role in this ritual. Protecting a passed out boy throughout the whole night against a group of men older and more experienced than you? Not great odds.

And there's the whole reason they're doing this too – to stave off the long and hard winter months, the wolves of death. To protect the sun and spring from the wolves that hunt her, so she may come back and bless them soon. All Isak has to do is take a drink and sleep all night. Even has the fate of the whole village resting on his back. If he loses Isak that first night, it's a really bad omen, means that the winter will be long and hard and the sun will be slow to return.

Isak kind of wishes he could be awake for it if only so he could help Even out, keep him company at least.

But instead Isak is here being washed and dressed, having ribbons braided into his hair. He knows that Even is being dressed right now as well, that while Isak drinks and falls asleep, he will pray, petition the gods for help on this night and all winter. He'll have his pick of three items to aid him through the night, and he hasn't told Isak what he's going to pick. As far as Isak remembers, most people pick the shield and sword. Maybe a different weapon if they feel more comfortable with it. The lantern so they can see on a cloudy night.

Even could have asked the other men for help making his decision, but he doesn't know who will be a wolf on the night and could have ended up spilling his secret to them. Very few people risk it.

“Are you ready?” Sana asks, quietly, when Isak is dressed. She looks at him like she's a little worried – not just about the ritual but about him.

Isak nods slowly and takes the fur cloak she hands him, wrapping it around his shoulders. He's warm enough now, but he knows the girls who do this often come back shivering and feverish.

“I'll be fine,” he says. “It'll be fine. Even can do it.”

Sana nods firmly and smiles at him, giving his arm a gentle squeeze before stepping aside to make way for her mother. Priestess Khadija steps forward with the cup of herbal something or other for him to drink. It smells strong and a little sharp, makes the hair on the back of his neck rise at the thought of drinking it.

Fuck.

He's really doing this.

Priestess Khadija recites the prayer to the sun goddess, to the eternal spring. Prays for her strength and speed, offers her their assistance and begs for a swift return.

Isak doesn't really have to do anything here except look regal and be quiet and take the cup when offered.

When he does, Priestess Khadija gives him a small smile that seems meant for him, not just the goddess. Isak smiles back a little shakily and takes the cup. His hands don't visibly shake even though they feel like they're shivering. He meets Sana's eyes once more, just briefly, and then Yousef's. Sana looks up at him with a determination that seems to say that if she can will this night to go well, she will. He knows she'll be up praying all night with the other novices and if anyone can force a god to do her bidding, it's definitely Sana. Yousef will be praying too, but he looks worried, a shadow on his brow like he wants to smack the cup out of Isak's hands.

Isak tries to smile at him, then takes a fortifying breath and drains the cup as quickly as he can.

The tincture tastes absolutely foul, and it almost makes him gag. He forces it down anyway, swallows several times and takes the cup of water Sana hands him to wash it down. The taste lingers on his tongue anyway. He really hopes it'll be gone by the time he wakes up.

Speaking of waking up – he's just about to ask how long it's supposed to take until he starts feeling sleepy when the whole world shifts, everything tilting sideways and he loses the feeling in his legs. He thinks he makes a little noise and then there are hands holding him up and then--- nothing.

 

Isak wakes to cold.

The first thing he feels is the biting cold in his fingers and toes, the tip of his nose and his lips.

It's dark when his eyes blink open – so dark that for a moment he thinks he's gone blind and his heartbeat spikes with panic. He can't move, his limbs still heavy, and he has no idea where he is.

But he must flinch, or something, because then there's pressure on his chest. It's gentle, and if Isak had his wits about him, he'd realise it's a hand, that whoever is touching him means him no harm, but his first instinct is to scream. The only thing that hinders it is the way his voice croaks and gets caught in his throat.

“It's me,” Even says, and everything comes flooding back to Isak.

The ritual. The drink. Even protecting him through the night.

Even hasn't lost him yet. The tincture was supposed to make him sleep until the sun rose, but it's still dark.

He makes another noise, this one questioning, wants to ask how much longer, where they are, but Even's hand moves to cover his mouth and when their eyes meet in the dark, Even gives a tiny shake of his head. Isak nods to say he's understood and keeps still and quiet. Even's hand moves off his face carefully, not making a sound. He doesn't move, doesn't spring into action, so Isak assumes they're still safe for the time being.

He takes the time to take stock of his limbs, wiggles his fingers and his toes, turns his attention inward to see if anything hurts more than it should. Or worse, if anything's gone numb.

It's only now that he notices that there's something heavy on top of him and he's… warm. There's also something lying in between his feet. Except for his fingers and toes and nose, he's not as cold as he expected to be. He moves one arm, quietly, slowly, and realises he's covered in a heavy fur.

The fur.

Even chose the fur, even though it'd be heavy to carry, might slow them down. He chose the fur to make sure that Isak wouldn't get cold.

Isak really, really wants to say something, wants to ask what else Even chose, wants to _help_ somehow. But Even bade him stay quiet, so that must be the best way he can help. Maybe the wolves are close. They're not running, after all, they're hiding. The goat seems content on his other side, and Isak realises that the thing between his feet must be the bag of goat feed.

The fur and the feed.

Keeping Isak warm and the goat happy and well-fed.

Did Even take anything for himself? Anything to defend himself? Or the light maybe, so he wouldn't get lost? But the light also shows the wolves the way, and Even knows the woods around the village like the back of his hand. Maybe he thought he didn't need it.

Isak wants to reach out and touch him, tell Even with gestures if not with words that he's grateful. But Even's looking off into the darkness behind Isak's head and Isak doesn't dare turn around, doesn't want to come out from his cocoon of warmth underneath the fur, and doesn't want to make too much noise doing it either. So he stays quiet and just watches Even.

He's wrapped in his own fur cloak, arms slipped through slits at the side, three toggles keeping it shut over his chest. The hood of it falls over his eyes and Isak isn't sure how he didn't see that first. A goat buck's horns sweep back and away from his face as though growing from his own head and in the dark, it makes Even look… foreign. Isak's not sure how he saw Even's eyes and smile before he saw this, but he's been so focused on Even's expression he didn't notice the ceremonial garb he's got on.

It looks striking, in the dark, and Isak thinks of the men in their wolf furs, hollowed out skulls and snouts sitting over their heads. It makes him shiver just to imagine it. He remembers them running from the village from when he was younger, swarming out in search of the maiden and her protector. They always scared him, with their shouting and their axes, the glee with which they gave chase.

Isak can't believe that Even had to deal with them all night. All by himself. Still has to, staring into the darkness to try and keep the upper hand, not be surprised by them.

Eventually, Even's shoulders lose some of their tension and he turns back to look at Isak. His eyes glitter and shine in the darkness and Isak thinks he sees him smile, but Even carefully makes sure to keep the white of his teeth hidden. Isak smiles back and wishes the night were over. Wishes they were already at the feast and could warm up by the fires, could drink some of the hot mead.

He almost wishes the drink had worked as it was meant to and let him sleep through the whole night. His heart is still hammering in his chest, and he doesn't know what he's going to do if they're found, if they have to run. If Even has to fight the wolves off. Isak' can't just lay here and let it happen, if it comes to that!

But then Even leans down over him and presses his cold lips to Isak's forehead. Dry and chaste, barely a kiss, but Isak settles a little. Even has a plan. If Isak just trusts him to pull it off then he will.

He's not sure how much longer they stay there, but eventually the darkness fades a little, turns grey at the edges and Isak watches with rapt fascination as the coming light makes it easier and easier to make out the features of Even's face. Even under the hood of the goat fur, Isak can make out the tired lines on his face, the tense attention as he stares off into the greying morning. Though Isak knows that in summer, it would probably already be closer to midday.

Even leans down over him, so he can murmur directly into Isak's ear.

“We'll wait a little longer, then we'll make a run for it.”

When Even leans back up, Isak holds his gaze and nods. He's still feeling a bit sluggish, but Even smiles down at him.

“The goat will pull you, don't worry. I've kept him happy all night,” he whispers and grins.

Isak grins back up at him.

The third thing Even chose, Isak sees now that it's getting lighter by the minute, is the hammer. Even's always been good with a hammer, but Isak thinks he probably picked it for the symbolism more than anything. Thor, who protects the spring maiden every winter. Thor, to whom Even would have prayed before making his choice. Who may or may not have helped them through the night.

They still have to make it back to the village, but Isak is sure they will.

Even moves quietly but quickly when it's time to go, shakes his legs out from where he's been crouched by Isak's side, half sitting on the sleigh, and moves over to grab the goat's lead. He shoots Isak a look over his shoulder, and Isak grabs the sides of the sleigh, makes sure the fur is tucked in underneath his legs as well so it won't fly off, and then nods. Even nods back.

Then he moves aside the branches of the large pine they've been hiding underneath and clicks an almost quiet sound at the goat. Even sets off at a slow jog and the goat keeps up easily. The snow crunches under Even's feet and the goat's hooves, the sleigh gliding along behind them. It sounds almost deafeningly loud in the silence of the morning forest, and Isak feels his heartbeat start to race again.

He doesn't know how far they are from the village, how close the pack of wolves is. It could take them hours to get back, and before they've made it back the night isn't over, the goddess not safe. Despite his involvement in these rituals, Isak isn't sure he believes very much. Things seem to happen rather without rhyme or reason, whether one prays and does everything right or not.

But now, Isak closes his eyes and breathes in the cold and prays.

He prays to Thor for strength and protection, prays to Grandmother Night to thank her, prays to the Maiden for speed.

He can hear Even's panting breath, rhythmic like the fall of his feet. The goat bleats, but Even doesn't seem concerned. Rather he huffs a very breathless laugh. Isak smiles, feels it on his own face, but keeps his eyes closed and his heart open – the way his mother always told him to speak to the gods.

Then there's cheering. Horns, drums, voices, and Even's laughter. Still breathless but louder now.

They made it.

Even _made it._

Isak blinks open his eyes and goes to sit up, but then-- is he still meant to be asleep? Before he can come to a decision either way, Even comes over and holds out a hand to him, so Isak takes it and lets him pull him up, sheds the fur that Even covered him with as he stands.

The cheering goes up a notch, and Isak can't help but laugh and lean against Even a little as he stumbles a bit, his limbs still heavy from disuse.

Even wraps an arm around his waist and holds him close, raises the other hand victoriously to the roar of the crowd. There are a few wolves that Isak spots, hoods shoved back now and cheering just as loudly as the rest.

Even won. The maiden is saved. Winter is defeated.

“Let's feast!” Even's father calls when the cheers have died down a bit, and the whole village starts moving towards the town hall as one, chatting and cheering and singing.

Even starts walking with his arm still around Isak, pulling him along. They both have pride of place at the feast today. Even as the conquering hero and Isak as the Goddess serving her rejuvenating mead.

Which he is not allowed to drink.

Right.

Even falters a little in his step, tired from staying up and alert all night no doubt, and Isak wraps his own arm around Even in return, holds him up as well as he can.

“I knew you would do it,” he says quietly.

Even turns to meet his gaze and grins down at him.

“Well, I couldn't let the wolves have you,” he says. They're still supposed to be The Hero and the Goddess, not Even and Isak, but no one's really looking, and so Isak tilts his head up and steals a kiss from Even's lips.

Tonight, and every night until the end of Yule, Isak and Even will sleep in the same hut – the same _bed –_ as Even continues to make sure the Goddess comes to no harm. Isak can't deny that there's not a thrill deep in his belly at the thought. He knows quite well that it's not uncommon for girls to come away expecting from the Yuletide.

First, they have to get through this feast though, and then Isak will repay the favour and watch over Even as he sleeps. There's eleven more days of Yule, and here, in the morning light with Even beside him, Isak finds he's excited for them.

 

**The End**


End file.
